Meet the hero of Camberwell, Wendy Bowman...

Wendy's current fight (she has been forced out of home by mining companies twice before) is against Yancoal over the South East Open Cut project, an extension of the Ashton mine. Wendy's personal struggle aside, the biggest impacts of the mine are on water, and on the health of Camberwell residents, NSW. Find out more about Wendy here, and join us to #ProtectTheHunter http://www.lockthegate.org.au/protectthehunter Water: The proposed coal pit is less than 300m from Glennies Creek, one of the main tributaries in the Hunter river system, and just 1km from its confluence with the Hunter. The NSW Office of Water opposed the approval of the mine due to its projected impacts on the creek and river, citing “uncontrolled drawdowns” of water from Glennie’s Creek, adversely productive farmland and downstream agricultural and domestic water users in the network, and create a source of long-term salinity in the vital Hunter River system. Health: The proposed pit is only a few hundred metres from Camberwell, which is already bordered by two mines.The NSW Dept of Health opposed the mine, saying it would have an "unacceptable impact" on the health of Camberwell residents, due to the particle pollution from the mines. The locals appealed the 2012 approval to the Land and Environment Court, but the court upheld the mine approval. However, the court amended the approval so that it cannot come into effect unless Wendy Bowman voluntarily sells her property to them. But she ain't gonna move...